Some Reflections Monday 9 September 2013

After one thousand, one hundred and ninety seven days and nearly nine hundred and seven thousand draft words, my writing climb from a standing start on the 1 June 2010 to a small significant summit of self publishing a first book is nearly over. 

Part of a first print run of "You will never write a book!" - Ywnwab! - Autumn Story-book is in the post!

The seven stages of being an author to me are:-

1.    Think about writing √

2.    Start creative writing √

3.    Produce more and more quality writing √

4.    Present, test and print your writing √

Then if you really want to …

5.    Publish your first book √

6.    Market your first book …

7.    Sell your first book … bask in self satisfaction … and hopefully a modest amount of praise. Do not think about the cost in time and money!

If you have enough money, energy and any sparks of enthusiasm and creativity left then go on start all over again from 3 above … and again … ?

Commentary

1.    Think. Once I had my dream at 3.00 am on 1 June 2010 I did not think much before starting to write … about 70 minutes to the dawn. I have not stopped since, averaging over 750 words a day. Others seem to spend months or years procrastinating ... and may never start …

2.    A start and setting a million word writing target was key, creative elements and ideas seemed to come easily, especially after dog walking …

3.    Write on with daily and monthly word targets, self edits and restructuring …back up in both hard copy and electronic as one cannot publish something one has lost!

4.  Present writing to professional editors to secure quality assurance and gain confidence through, writer’s groups and reading widely … Like minded writing buddies and supporters internationally have been found for mutual benefit and enjoyment, and we have shared lots of jokes and laughter.

5. Self publish to avoid rejection … and of greater importance one has control over the process to get what you want … whether regarded as right or wrong by the huge literary establishment in your way between writers and readers.

6.   Market your book. Never having been a sales person this is new ground for me, but I will use – unusual writing, million words, my characters as authors, the Allrighters’ structure, silly 'T' shirts and short stories and help from the guest writers to push forward.

7.   Selling - Time alone will tell and as my self publisher says “If you only sell a few books you will have had a good time for the equivalent price of a good holiday or a few meals out with wine, beers and cigarettes.”

Genre – Have I been too hard calling myself a fantasy writer?

1.    My professional editor’s both said:-

“Although we found your writing enjoyable and interesting we had great difficulty in pigeon holing what you write about into any of the accepted genre headings.”

At last I think I may have found an excuse in the underlined last sentence of what follows, slightly out of context, thanks to Howard Jacobson - Zoo Time, page 73.

“The more a book of one sort or another was identified as surplus to cultural requirement the more of them were written. Books that no one wanted to read were running at plague proportions. If there was a book to be made you made it – and wondered who the hell would read it later.”

(Brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews allowed

– says the Zoo Time publisher’s page. The critical element being

of my own writing! )

So I propose to carry on in the old ways in hope, just pausing for a brief moment!

2.  Since 2010 I have described my long book writing as fantasy fiction. Looking back over the 1,197 days of writing I started with Gemini - a thriller - a threat to the books author and my main character Henry Cross and his family with dreams and memories, which also contains the start of the tangled family history of the Cross family. I have found Gemini in five volumes 300k words needs much more work. Sevhend? – started by (Aunt) Florence Cross, now deceased, with her dreams  and memories and those of the Allrighters’ ghostrighter Freddie, all as completed by Henrietta Jones, is to be the first long book. Fantasy, yes there is, with time travel of a kind, alternative economic social and political history, transport, energy, wars, climate and life in general … at the end of the books you will no doubt feel much happier with your current lives! I need to quantify.

3.    Looking at the short stories in Ywnwab! to quantify subjects or genre some 45% is based on factual memories and experiences of life, death, health, travel, art and buildings, nature, and writing expanded by a further 40% of general fiction, but only some 15%  of pure fantasy fiction.

 

My real twin brother Douglas is laughing at the low stated percentage of my pure fantasy in Ywnwab! as he drinks his hot chocolate and eats ginger biscuits!

I will now have to report on the content ratios in Gemini and Sevhend?

I hear Cavatina playing on the wireless in another room and recall a gem - the 1980 version by Cleo Laine and John Williams see - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpv85IXdjQk

Good night to you all, enjoy good reading, writing and listening – Alexander.